


Pridecember 2020

by SwordsAndSongs



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: AItem is in here!, Anal Sex, Anxiety Attacks, Bad Cooking, Car Sex, Coffee, Cooking, Engagement, Fluff and Smut, Light Bondage, M/M, Morning Cuddles, Nipple Play, One Shot, Porn with Feelings, Prideshipping, Semi-Public Sex, Spherium, YGOPridecember2020, someone gets hurt while they're cooking, ygopridecember
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-01
Updated: 2021-01-28
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:54:42
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 31
Words: 20,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27813355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SwordsAndSongs/pseuds/SwordsAndSongs
Summary: 31 days of stories, 31 one-shots about Prideshipping. First-person narrated from Kaiba's point of view, cross-posted on Tumblr. Most are nothing but mindless fluff, some of them will contain smut.
Relationships: Atem/Kaiba Seto, Kaiba Seto/Yami Yuugi
Comments: 35
Kudos: 73





	1. Coffee

"It's bitter." Atem was glaring at the mug in his hands, his petite mouth twisted into frown. "You didn't say it would be so nasty."

I smirked at him, a warm pool of amusement settling inside my chest. Letting one hand rest in his thick bangs, I petted him softly, dragging knots of hair through my fingers."I told you that you wouldn't like it. It's your own fault if you refuse to listen."

He scowled at me now, his violet eyes storming."Is my cooking really so bad that you'd rather drink this at work than come home and eat with me?"

Now it was my turn to frown, the motions of my hand stilling. "That's not... I would rather drink coffee next to you."

Atem shoved the mug into my free hand, quick to give up on what he had thought would be a treat. "Then drink it. I'm right here."

I accepted the cup, but continued to caress his head. "I'll buy you something sweet when I get off." Lifting it to my lips, I was surprised to suddenly find my arm weighed down by begging hands.

"Wait!"

I spluttered on the drink. "What?"

"Kiss me first." He pleaded. "Before you taste like coffee."

Hesitating, I wiped my mouth on my sleeve, then leaned in for a brief kiss. He nibbled on my lips, warm and firm against me as the world fell away. My shot of pure espresso, sharp on my tongue and giving life to my days.

"So what did that taste like?" I challenged as he drew away, for I knew my breath was soured from past cups of java.

Those eyes flickered up at me, clouded over with an emotion that was too heated for words. Blazing, unabashed, soft words from a trembling mouth declared me, "The best, Kaiba."


	2. Desire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It officially took two days to go from fluff to smut. This collection is now rated E for Everyon- I mean Explicit. 18+ work below.

He sucked, kissed, and licked dark bruises across my midsection, his broad hands grappling with my nipples as I begged for air and filled the room with groans. Roses blossomed across my snow-white skin, blood pulsing in my ears as Atem learned how to play my body, his instrument. I was just a toy, treasured by his unflinching gaze. He ran his tongue down my abs, desirous, flicking sensitive nerves and making my head spin.

"You're overreacting again, Kaiba." Was it a compliment, or a reprimand? I didn't know. I wanted to be safe.

"I can't help it, you're here." Would Atem understand the innate, terrifying difference between him being _here_ , and being _gone_? I refused to let him ever be gone again. "You feel so good... "

"Hush." A tone of command, uttered from between my legs. One hand was still caressing my chest, and that pure, sinful mouth was leaving its trail of red down my thigh. "Or else how loud will you be once I actually start fucking you?"

Filthy words raked through me, dashing all my hopes to take a full breath. I tried to find his face in the darkness, but his eyes stayed away from mine, more focused on the way my cock was twitching next to his cheek. Ponderous, he leaned close, his breath burning hot on my erection.

Once again, I found it hard to take a full breath, gripping the sheets and hissing loudly as I fervently tried to obey his command of silence. "Touch me." I was whining, lost in the moment. He needed to be on me, hands and eyes and soft skin, all focused on me and nothing else.

"Kaiba, Kaiba." He was mumbling against my tip, lips tapping against soft skin hypnotically. Warm and wet, his mouth enveloped the whole head, sucking it in, his cheek swelling with the sudden bulge. Made of midnight, he was just another shadow, and I was lost in his depths.

"Want me." I was pleading, pathetic, hoping to have those pretty eyes look at me. I was useless, weak. I hated it. I loved him.

Atem's mouth was full, and only his wet irises glistened in the dark. Strong hands gripped my thighs, raking fingernails down my skin as I moaned his true name. Strings of saliva rippled down my skin as he backed away, wet noises interspersing my pleas. "I'm always going to want you, Kaiba."


	3. Hot Cocoa

(Continued from Chapter 1: Coffee)

"Is that better?"

Atem glanced up at me, a disposable cup clenched between his gloved hands. "Yeah." He was in a good mood now that he had something sweet to drink. "You really think my cooking is terrible?"

"Of course not. I know your cooking is terrible."

A tiny elbow needled my rib cage, and I retreated from the assault, smiling at my slight victory. "I'm going to get better." He frowned up at me, his teeth bared, eyes flashing. "I'll make you regret every word."

"Push beyond your limits and impress me. I doubt you'll be able to, but maybe you'll learn how to boil water someday."

"I can boil water." He flailed his arms to prove his point, and I had to dodge a splash of cocoa. Wincing, Atem quickly brought the cup to his lips, slurping it down to a lower level of liquid.

"Careful." I passed a hand along his spine, resting it above his hips as we walked. "What do you want to do when we get home?"

"I want to play Yugi's game with you... Spherium." Dark liquid pooled on the edges of his lips, and I wondered whether the sugar or his kiss would be sweeter.

"Do you want to invite Yugi and the others over?" I was still getting used to my lover's friends being in my house, and interacting with them was often unpleasant. However, Atem was part of a crew, and he didn't have the luxury of spending all his free time with me.

Violet eyes mulled over a quiet evening, or a messy splash of festivities. "Do you want to?"

"No. But I wanted to ask."

"Yeah." He replied distantly. Taking a bracing sip, exhaling, Atem realized he couldn't stall anymore. "I want to be alone with you. But I haven't seen Jonouchi or Honda in a few days. Do you think they're mad? Well, not mad, exactly... "

"You're my boyfriend. If they have a problem, they need to come to me." I replied flatly, annoyed at the thought of the loser dog stealing my time with my lover.

His chin dropped on his chest, his bangs flopping loosely over his eyes and obscuring his expression. "Of course."

I sighed heavily. That wasn't what he had wanted to hear. "You care about them. But if you want to live your own life, that's not going to hurt them. If they want to see you, you'll always be there for them - right?"

Shoulders lifted, head raised, nostrils flared, and a dark hand found my scarf. He tugged, strong and smooth, and I bent to his demand, accepting the chocolate-scented kiss.

"Sometimes you know how to say the right things, Kaiba."


	4. Flowers

_I should not be here. I need to be home. I should have my bare feet propped up on the coffee table, and Atem cuddled next to me, and Mokuba playing video games on the couch across from us._

_I don't need to be here. Everything that's on my computer can wait until tomorrow. But it's been another hour, and there's just one more problem I can fix before I can leave._

_Well, that didn't take too long. I should send the updated schedules to the R &D team before I leave._

_Fuck. It's been another hour. Atem will have gone to bed now, and I barely saw him this morning. What is he wearing, and how gorgeous did it make him look? I wonder if he's worried about me, or angry. Did he fall asleep yet? I should... go home._

_I should get him something to make up for this, but I can't buy him anything as precious as my time. Maybe I'll take the day off tomorrow... no, I can't. They're going to need me to work with the research team while they transition to the new schedule. Next week. I'll take off a day next week._

The walk to the garage was quiet. No one else was left in the building, just like always.

_What could I even get for Atem? He already buys everything he wants for himself. Clothes, jewelry, games - I told him that money would never be a problem. If he wants something, he already has it._

_That shop-! What did we just drive by?_

_Oh, it's closed. Of course it is. The whole city is asleep by now._

_Wait._

_There's some stores that are still open. Anything they have is going to be worthless... but maybe he'll see that I meant it. I can get him something better tomorrow. I_ will _get him something better tomorrow._

\---

"Kaiba." His gravel tone, rushing over my name like a stream over its bed. I groaned, letting my eyes flutter open, tired from the late night. Atem was standing over me, expressionless, morning light filtering through the curtains and playing across his stone face.

"What?" I think I said that.

His arms were full of my withered bouquet of grocery-store flowers, but I couldn't read the look in his eyes. "I read the note you left me."

I tried to remember what I had scrawled on there before I passed out next to him. "I'm going to get you better flowers tonight, when I get home."

"I love you too." He leaned down, and kissed my forehead, soft. A great weight fell off me at the touch, and I let out an unencumbered breath. All was forgiven, for this day.


	5. Red

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uhh, I guess this is a warning for blood mention? Not gory, just a little accident.

"Kaiba."

I looked up from my book, and my heart almost stopped. Atem's hands were red, his fingers full of napkins and crimson blood. I was on my feet before I even knew what had happened, standing next to him, his wrists clenched in my palms. "What happened?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine." He was shaking, and I felt some of his weight fall onto me. "I cut my thumb. It's not bad, but it keeps bleeding."

"I'm seriously going to ban you from the kitchen." I adjusted the napkins, slowly peeling them away from the wound. He was right; he wouldn't even need stitches for something this small. Still, seeing all that blood ooze over his amber skin was worrying. "Come on, there's a first aid kit in the bathroom."

Years of experience with scraped elbows or knees, and my own terrifying wounds, made this easy to deal with. Lifting my bleeding lover onto the sink, I wrapped him in gauze and disinfectant, trying to soothe my frantic heartbeat with familiar motions. He was soothing, warm, here. He was alive, and dripping crimson on my shirt.

"How is that?" I pulled him against my chest, and he immediately hugged me back.

"Thank you." Atem mumbled it into my ear, sinking his chin into my shoulder. It was painful. I didn't tell him to move away yet. "I think I ruined dinner... "

"We can get take-out." I fought back the more acidic comment that rose naturally to my tongue, burying it in his scent rising around me. There was a small chance, after all, that our dinner had not been doomed since the moment he walked into the kitchen. "Let's just... stay here for a minute."

His breath huffed in my ear, his grip tightening on my shirt. "Yes, Kaiba, please."


	6. Shower

I crawled into the hot water, letting the filth of a long day wash down my body. It was 1 AM, and I had just gotten home. This time, Atem had known I would be late, and I already had permission to work as long as I needed. Now that I was home, I was looking forward to finding my spot on the mattress next to him, and passing out.

When the bathroom door creaked open, a flash of panic ran through me, and I turned quickly to see who it was.

I was surprised to see my boyfriend stripped down and wrapped in a bathrobe, his eyes blurry with sleep.

"Atem?"

Shedding his robe, revealing inch after inch of tanned muscle, Atem slipped under the water with me, his motions clumsy. "I just want to touch you." He mumbled, leaning close and wrapping his bare arms around me.

I'd like to imagine I responded with something intelligent, but that's unlikely. Running my fingers through his wet hair, I leaned against the wall of the shower, dragging him close and tight. For his part, Atem buried his mouth in my midsection, kissing me firmly as he followed the lines of my abs.

"Please tell me you can take tomorrow off." Violet full of lust, a hot mouth pressed against my skin, greedy whispers sending shivers down my spine. Moisture was dripping from his nose, water streaming down the wet hands that found my weakest places.

"I can." I couldn't. I was lying. My mind was begging me to stop staring into those hypnotic eyes, to run from the siren's seduction.

"I just want to have you for myself." He murmured, and I accepted it. I gave in to the spell he was playing, something that weaved me in and trapping me against his side.

"I want you too." I warbled, and I felt body press wetly against me. I wasn't lying anymore. I would have all the time he needed, even at the wreck and ruin of the entire world.

"You look exhausted. I'm sorry that I'm so selfish... " Now he touched my face, and the water carved trails down his skin, almost hiding the flame inside him. I was tired, but I wasn't going to sleep with this bonfire beside me.

I kissed his mouth, leaning down to reach him, pressing out bodies together. Letting one hand drift down his chest, his stomach, I toyed my fingers over his bronzed skin. His muscles tightened, his breathing became shallow, his body shivered as I traced his hip. "How selfish can you be, Pharaoh?"


	7. Scarf

"I like it." Atem tilted his head at me, then glanced back at Jonouchi. "I think it looks good on him."

I couldn't care less what the deadbeat thought of my winter clothing. I knew that wearing something other than my battle gear made my boyfriend's eyes light up in the best way. It had the added benefit of being appropriate for the weather. If that meant wearing a knitted scarf up to my ears, so be it. I dragged it up around my mouth now, refusing to even acknowledge the words.

"Come on guys, don't fight." Yugi smiled nervously, adjusting the position of Jonouchi's drink on the cafe table so he was less likely to knock it over. "We're here to have fun, and play games together."

"I'm not confident in my ability in the former, or Jonouchi's in the latter." I replied, seeing my chance and taking it.

Atem kicked my shin under the table. I shoved his shoulder.

"Calm down with the foreplay." Jonouchi taunted, obviously annoyed by my comment.

"It's not foreplay until the lid comes off the board game." I smirked at him, forgetting that he couldn't see my mouth from under the scarf.

Atem grabbed the scarf now, pulling it over my eyes. "I'm not letting you play if you keep that up."

It was surprisingly easy to get lost in a day like this. There were games on the table, and people to play them with - even if some of them were infuriating. Despite the chill of winter settling in for the season, Atem was fired up at my side, never failing to adapt his strategies perfectly for the situation. I could only hope to keep up with him, our hands tied together by fate. What was I supposed to do? He's my rival, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *vibrates* oh boi an art piece I commissioned for a concept of one of my WIPs has just finished today... I'm just gonna say that this WIP is going to be coming soon and I think y'all will love it to death


	8. Throne

"We are going to get caught." I hissed. When Atem had asked if me if I wanted to go back home with him for a visit, this was not what I had in mind as our choice of activities.

"Shut up and give me the lube." He growled, adjusting his robes to expose his erection. Dead certain that we were going to have to explain our activities to the palace guards when they inevitably found us, I slid the container into his hands.

He was sitting on his grand throne, and I was standing over him, my pants puddled around my ankles. As much as this might have usually excited me, I was far more concerned about getting interrupted by the guards on their night patrols, or Mahad, or - someone. Since Atem wasn't listening to me, I decided reluctantly to let go of my useless concern for now. Closing my eyes, I waited for Atem's touch with baited breath.

A moment later, Atem's slick finger slipped inside my ass. Gasping for breath, I held my stance and let him work, the muscles in my thighs turning into jelly as he found the space to plunge another finger in. "You're good... I'm... " I mumbled, not even certain of what I was trying to say.

"Speak up." He commanded. I had already seen his attitude change just from being back in his ceremonial robes and jewelry, but now that contrast was pulsing inside me. The instinct to obey was easier to give in to when he was stern like this.

"You feel good, Pharaoh." I managed. In return, I felt firm pressure hit my prostate, stroking each nerve and playing me as his instrument. I knew he was smiling, even without seeing it. Gasping and grinning like a fool, I rocked back against his hand.

"Come here now." His fingers slid out, and I grunted at the unexpected exit. Settling against him carefully, I let out a rough breath as his cock rested firmly against my entrance. Adjusting and easing into him, I let the first inch travel inside me. Despite Atem's prep, I still felt woefully inadequate, my intimate parts stretching and aching as I took his girth. He didn't move, as stony as the chair underneath him.

Wincing, I awkwardly supported my weight on the armrests, working around what I had before I dared to take any more. Atem's warm hands gripped my thighs, holding my body up and steadying my shaking muscles. "You're doing good." He breathed, and I felt my tension melt away.

I settled in, deeper and deeper. After the initial pain, there was nothing but aching ecstasy, the absolutely mind-numbing power of sitting on the Pharaoh's throne and looking out into his court. It wasn't hard to imagine this place being full of sun, and tall men clothed in linen and gold. For the briefest of moments, I saw myself just like this, full of Atem, sitting on the throne and letting the nobles gawk as my Pharaoh ruined me.

Immediately throwing the thought aside, I lifted my hips, slamming them down on Atem's cock. He met my motion with a firm thrust, his hands caressing my nipples, tracing over my abs. My prostate shivered, and I was already seeing stars as his cock worked right against the best places.

"You're doing good, Seto." My name hissed below my ear, and I nearly lost it, moaning Atem's name into the room until it echoed - loudly. He shoved his fingers inside my mouth, giving me something to suck on before I got us caught. "Hush, hush."

I was losing myself in this. He was rock-hard, bouncing me firmly on his lap, letting me suck on his fingers like they were a second cock in my mouth. On top of that, we were in one of the most sacred places, with him dressed in the finest clothing of a king. He was the god of this place, and I was worshiping him with each rock of my hips, and every time I tightened my ass.

"Fuck me." I moaned around his fingers, and he growled softly, pounding into me even harder as he practically choked me to keep me quiet. Somehow, my noises just kept escaping, far too loud for the time and place we were in.

"What if we get caught?" He teased, and his fingers started flicking my nipple. "What if you can't keep your filthy mouth shut and someone walks in right now?"

A spiral of fear passed through my chest, but the way my erection perked up was not lost on my Pharaoh. "I c-can't... "

"I wonder if you would keep mewling like this. I'm sure you wouldn't stop moving these filthy hips at all."

"I can't stop." I whined, annoyed at how he was teasing me. "You're too big, Atem, it's so good."

We were grinding slow now, hard and deep as he found new places to fill up inside me. "I know." He drowsed, his metal crown resting against my back as his breath passed over me. "It is _so_ good."

Not for the first time, I remembered suddenly that Atem loved me. He didn't want to have midnight sex with anyone else. His hand would stay inside of mine for as long as I was alive, and for all of eternity afterwards too. This wasn't just his cock stirring my insides, or just one night that we would look back on. I was being loved, and I always would.

My cock was heating up, swelling with Atem's pressure. Grabbing his free hand desperately, I didn't even try to quiet down as he got off inside me. My mouth full of his hand, I still managed to warble, "I love you, Atem, I love you so much."

"Fuck, Kaiba, I love you too." His hand clenched around mine, his thrusts getting short and fast as he panted for breath. "I'm going to, uhh... "

He trailed off, and I felt hot liquid suddenly filling my ass. I moaned loudly, breaking out of his imposed gag as semen pooled around his cock, dripping out of me. I was so _full_. If one more drop oozed out of his perfect slit, I was going to break.

His body slumped back, but his cock was still trapped inside me, buried to his balls in my ass. Wincing, I slowly eased my way upwards, hearing the seed trickle down and the noise of our bodies separating.

"Wait." He mumbled, his tone drowsy. "You haven't finished yet... "

"Let's go back to your room. What I want to do is going to be loud."

His hands touched my thighs, bracing me as his cock slipped out wetly, seed spilling on his lap and staining his fine robes. I groaned softly, and he made a noise of content. "Then let's go, Kaiba."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've wanted to do a piece where Kaiba gets banged by a Pharaoh in the throne room for so fucking long... the original idea started when I was a Stoicshipper but now it finally lives in the form of Prideshipping. Maybe I'll do the Stoic idea one day too ^u^


	9. Carry

Well, that wasn't what I had expected to see when went to find Atem. He had begged me to let him work with Yugi on his game, to visit him in the office for one day. I had agreed, as I couldn't think of a single negative thing about the situation. Atem had even eaten lunch with me in the office, perched on my lap while I picked through a bento.

Now he was asleep at Yugi's desk, his head puddled in his arms. That... didn't surprise me, given how late we had stayed up the night before, but it was still cute to see him passed out without a care in the world. Yugi had already gone home, but he had let me know that Atem was still at his desk before he left. He hadn't said anything about Atem being asleep then, so I assumed that was a more recent development.

His breathing was heavy, his face lined from resting on the desk. Game pieces were strewn out in front of him, and there were notes scrawled in a delicate mixture of kanji and hieroglyphs. Notes in a heavier, tighter scrawl turned the hieroglyphs into kanji; Yugi's doing, I assumed. These notes were expert analysis of Spherium's existing pieces, grouping them into tiers and surmising on playstyles. I didn't expect anything less from him.

Wrapping his coat tighter around his shoulders, I pulled his lax form into my arms, tilting at the sudden weight. He was heavier than I had expected, but perhaps it was because he was dead weight. He stirred, mumbling at me as I held his warmth against my chest.

"Are you ready to go home?" I pecked his cheek, unsure if he would answer.

Atem nodded, his eyes firmly shut as he settled into me. "I want to do this again."

I remembered Atem's legs straddling my thigh, chattering excitedly about all the things Yugi had showed him while he watched me eat. "Yeah, me too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been working with a very wonderful team of artists and writers to create a completely free zine, Lacquer! This is an in-universe magazine for the world of Yu-Gi-Oh! and it was a blast to create. It is completely free and available here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-2btdOPIz2-amEO-XeUnlYUaLIP02Y8q


	10. TV

Atem was holding a carton of ice cream and a spoon, and I was paying as little attention to that as possible, flicking idly through the cable channels as the treat dwindled down with each bite. Mokuba was in the school's chess club, and we had both spent a very long day at a tournament. It had been well worth it, as Mokuba had brought home the first place trophy. It barely fit on his bedside table, but it was there right now, watching over him as he slept. After an exhausting workweek and long weekend, I was ready for something mind-numbing before we went to bed.

"Oh look." Reruns of Battle City footage, showing the blimp in all its glory. "It's you."

It was Atem's Duel against Bakura, the view partially obscured by the miasma of the Castle of Dark Illusions. The ice cream devouring suddenly stopped, and I glanced over to see his reaction. His face was expressionless, but his hands had gone still. "They still play these kinds of things on TV?"

"At night, yeah." I stretched out my bare legs, stripped down to only my boxers and a loose t-shirt. The less clothes I had on, the more of an excuse I had to cuddle up with Atem to keep warm.

"I see."

The Atem on the screen was still possessing Yugi's slender teenage body, with nowhere near enough strength to brace against the wind buffeting him. Somehow, he stood, unbowed by the weather's ferocity. Without missing a beat, he summoned his Divine God, Osiris, dispelling the darkness with its roar.

My heart thudded in my chest, and I found myself captivated by the movements of that memory playing out on the screen. Of course I had fallen in love with a man like that. How could I resist the way he effortlessly created his own tide of battle?

"You're beautiful." The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them.

Atem seemed not to hear me, studying the floor anxiously. "I don't know... if I did the right thing... when it comes to Bakura."

Concerned, I took his hand, and I squeezed it tightly. It was cold from the ice cream. "Did you do your best, based on what you knew at the time? If you gave it everything you had, then you don't need to have any regrets."

Atem bit his lip, worrying it between his teeth. Seeing this duel play out on screen had seriously upset him, and I could see it in the way he avoided my eyes, his fingers limp in my hand. "I tried... but I could have done more. I did keep my friends safe, but... wasn't it my duty to save Bakura too? Surely I could have done _something_. I'm the Pharaoh! I should have been able to change everything, to make it right!" He went tense, his whole body arching into his words.

I hadn't expected this at all. "I don't know. I'm not sure if he even would have accepted your help, even if you had found a way to fix the problem." I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose with my free hand. This wasn't the kind of conversation I wanted to have tonight - or ever. I had only heard bad things about the other Bakura, and I was glad that menace to my lover was gone. "The only thing I really know about him is what you and Yugi have told me, and it doesn't sound good. He was a homicidal maniac, and he put your kingdom, and your friends, in danger. _Maybe_ you could have saved him from himself, but people don't change unless they want to. Choosing to destroy him... that wasn't a decision you made for yourself. It was the decision made by the king, for his people's sake."

Atem's eyes were wet, and I could only wonder what he was thinking. I know that no such sympathy stirred my heart. If any kind of evil came around for Atem again, I was putting it to death with my own hands. But Atem still thought Bakura was his responsibility, so that meant I needed to figure this out.

"I hear what you're saying, but... " Soft hands placed the lid back on the ice cream, and I knew it was time to go to bed. "It's something that I can't go back and change, even though that's what I want the most." This time, he caught my scowl, and quickly added, "Besides you, Kaiba. I just mean... it's always going to hurt, deep inside. I failed him."

"That's the burden of being a leader. You make hard calls, and take responsibility." I kissed his temple, soothing frazzled bangs out of his face. Every day, I had to shoulder the impact of thousands of lives, maybe even millions. I never saw the individual effects on each person. Maybe if I started looking for it, I would see Atem's pain myself. "It's your decision to rise past it, or be chained by it."

"I'll keep that in mind." His tone was dejected, almost numb, but he still stopped to give me a smile. "Thanks for the advice."


	11. Stockings

"There was a package left for you." I dropped the box in Atem's lap as I walked by, already shedding my work clothes as I headed for the shower.

"Pick those up." He scolded, tearing open the box with his fingers.

"I'll grab them when I get out." The water was refreshing and hot, rinsing away winter's chill and a company full of problems. Stepping out, I found my bathrobe and made my way back to Atem.

"Hello. What's in there?" I leaned over him, pressing my hands into the couch on either side of his face. Trapped, he smirked up at me, his hands full of colorful fabric.

"Some new socks." Most of them were striped, a few were plain colors, and one seemed to be made of lace. All of them were thigh-height, puddled in his arms and pressing soft against his skin.

I picked up the lace pair, soft and threadbare in my hands. "Those are pretty sexy."

"That's a perverted thing to say, Seto." He reached up, wrapping his arms around my neck with a secretive smile. His breaths were hot on my skin, ghosting over the fine hairs and tingling my nerves. "Go get dressed. Since you're home on time, you'll actually get to eat dinner with your family."

"That sounds wonderful." I admitted. "But after Mokuba goes to bed, I want to see you try on some of those."

Atem kissed my cheek, and laughed, his mirth bubbling over. "We'll see."


	12. Possessive

"So what did you think of Hana?" Atem asked the question casually, his head turned to stare out the car window. KaibaCorp had sponsored a silent auction to benefit an orphanage, and we had attended both the main event and the afterparty. All manner of rich and famous had been hanging around, hoping to catch a glimpse of both me and my mysterious boyfriend, who hadn't made many public appearances since we started dating.

"Hana?" Oh, that dark-haired quintessential Japanese beauty, her modernized kimono showing off her hips and shoulders. Stretching out in the limo's spacious backseat, I yawned, "She seemed nice. Pretty talkative."

"I didn't like the way she looked at you." He snapped, his tone suddenly rough with emotion. The hand on the seat beside me was clenched into a fist. "And she barely left your side the whole time, you know."

My interest piqued by his barely-contained rage, I slowly turned to face him. "There were a lot of people that hung around me all night."

"Yes, but not like she did." Now both hands were involved, animated and cutting the air in front of him. "Didn't you notice? She was rubbing up on you every chance she got! She was practically flaunting her breasts in your face, too. And then when she dropped her stupid little fan, so she had to bend over to pick it up - seriously!"

I remembered when Atem had crept to my side at one point, his eyes made of liquid steel. Curious about the reason for his gaze, I had bent down to speak to him privately. Without a word of warning, he kissed my mouth, hard, his hand clenching on my collar and yanking me to his level. After that, he had stayed much closer until it was time to go home.

"Is that why you kissed me back then? Because she was trying to flirt with me?"

He nodded, glaring up at me. "I was tired of watching her shenanigans. Did you see how pale she got after I did that?"

I leaned over, and kissed his forehead, smoothing his bangs out of the way. "No, I didn't, because I didn't pay much attention to her all night. I'm glad you told me what she was doing, because I had no clue."

Squinting at me, Atem's eyes flicked studiously over my face, finding my eyes, wondering if I was lying. "Kaiba?"

"I must admit, you were standing on the staircase with your back pressed against the railing most of the time. From where I was standing, I could see your ass perfectly." I shrugged, creeping one hand under his suit jacket to pull him against me. "It was a very distracting view. No one suspected a thing."

He slid easily into my lap, combing both hands through my hair as he reached for my mouth. "I don't believe you."

Before I could protest my innocence, his head dropped, and I felt a stinging pain pleasuring my nerves. He was marking my neck, covering me with love-bites and making my stomach curl in on itself. I couldn't quite breathe, his pressure on my windpipe. Giddy with desire, I dragged that jacket off his shoulders before I remembered we were in the car, and we would make a mess, and...

"Fuck me." I had the terrible habit of letting out noises I didn't mean to make when it came to Atem's hands roaming my crotch. Despite my quiet, rational mind begging me to hold off, to wait until we made it to the house, every instinct was begging me to let this storm of a man wind me up and pleasure me into reluctant submission.

"You're mine, Kaiba." As if he hadn't even heard me, he kept palming my crotch loosely, drawing back from my neck to declare his command. "Everyone else needs to know that."

Not wanting to be outdone, I darted forward, sinking my teeth into his throat as he let out a note of surprise. Savaging the skin sharply in my teeth, I felt his hand falter. Of course he loved having it rough and painful, shivers running down his spine as I nearly pulled blood. "I can't help but agree."


	13. Letter

"Kaiba-sama, your mail is here."

I waived one hand idly at the intern, allowing him to approach and drop the stack of papers onto my desk. All of the useless parts had already been filtered out, leaving me with only my most important notices. There were official envelopes sealed tightly, and sensitive correspondence and documents that couldn't be entrusted to digital methods to deliver. Standing out from the stack, there was a black envelope with gold writing. It was marked only 'To: Seto Kaiba'.

I didn't recognize the handwriting, which was rather straight-forward. There was no return address. Curious, with a tinge of healthy fear, I grabbed my letter opener and cautiously cut a hole in its side. Nothing out of the ordinary happened, so I continued the slit and let the contents dribbled out onto my desk.

Inside were two plain pieces of notebook paper, covered in practical grids. Both had been folded into fours, and I picked up one, unfolding it carefully. That was Atem's writing, his style casually mixing hieroglyphs and kanji, since he knew I was the one reading it.

_I don't know when this will reach you, because snail mail is just quirky like that, huh? Regardless of what day it arrives, I love you very much and hope you have a good day at work! I'll see you when you get home_ ❤

Snatching up the second piece of paper, I found it exactly as Atem had said. I suddenly noticed that I was smiling, my mouth almost aching from holding the expression. He... loved me. Very much, even. I dropped the paper back onto my desk - then picked it up again, reading it over one more time. Maybe it was just time to go home for the day...


	14. Glasses

"Mokuba, I don't understand what the problem is. You said you were having trouble seeing far away, and the optometrist provided a solution." I rubbed my temples, trying to force back the pounding headache. "Just wear the godda- wear the glasses."

"No way, those are ugly." He frowned up at me, his arms crossed defiantly even as his eyes queried my face. Wondering where this sudden burst of spunky defiance was coming from, I raised an eyebrow.

"You picked them out yourself?" It was a question, not a statement.

"They all looked ugly. That pair was just the least ugly, but it's still pretty bad."

Mokuba was lucky that I had a patient, kind, caring boyfriend to rescue him, or else he might have gone soaring through a very expensive window. "If you're not a fan of the glasses, we can go back to the doctor and get you some contact lenses." Atem offered.

"Exactly." I agreed, scraping my nails over my scalp in a desperate attempt at clarity. "Either way, your vision needs to be corrected, especially if you want to take your driving test in a few months."

"I don't want those either." He seemed even more offended by that suggestion, his look of distaste replaced by anxiety. "I'm fine, really. It barely even bothers me."

Atem plucked the glasses out of my hand. "Alright, then let's make a deal. You don't have to wear the glasses."

I nearly choked. Mokuba swiveled to stare at Atem, unsure of whether it was time to celebrate his victory yet or not.

"You don't need to wear them at work, or at school, or when you go out, anyway. But if you're at home, you should wear these. Other than that, you can do whatever you want." He held his empty hand out to Mokuba. "Shake on it?"

Nervous blue eyes darted my way, and I just shrugged. I didn't like it, but if it meant that I didn't need to get into a fight with Mokuba today, I was fine with the compromise. After this, I was going to find some aspirin.

"Deal." Mokuba smiled, shaking Atem's hand strongly.


	15. Plant

"You keep so many plants in your office, even during winter." Atem had gotten into the habit of coming in to work with me at least once a week. Usually, he and Yugi spent the time playing games and discussing Spherium. However, he always spent my lunch break with me, something that made my day infinitely better.

"I like them." I didn't have a better answer, so I just shrugged. "When I took over, I had an interior designer change the space, and she suggested plants. I didn't argue."

A little smile tugged at the edges of his red mouth, and he twirled a dead leaf around in his hands. "I see."

"What?"

"I don't know. It's just... I usually think of you as always being on the cutting edge, and really futuristic and cold. But your office look hasn't been updated in years, and you have plants and woodtones everywhere. I think it's funny, I guess."

Suddenly self-conscious, I looked around the room, wondering if I had made some kind of mistake. "Do you... want me to change it?"

Atem wandered to my side, fluttering the leaf against my cheek, watching my reaction to the feather-soft touch. "No. It suits you, I think."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah but seriously what is up with the tackiness that is Kaiba's office????


	16. Standing in Line

"You haven't changed your haircut since middle school. I'm not really sure why they need a new picture of you for your ID."

I glared at my boyfriend, who ran dark fingers through his bangs as he purposely turned away from my eyes. "Ha ha. Unfortunately, I haven't made a convincing enough clone of myself yet to make the photos, so our date is going to be at the government office."

"That's fine." His hand was small, fitting snugly in mine, tugging me forward. "We can play games while we wait!"

"What kind of games?" Of course my interest was piqued, and I fell in step beside him, changing my stride so we could walk comfortably together.

"Games you can play with just your hands, and your mind." He smirked, glancing over his shoulder briefly to let his eyes drop to my ass. "... like rock, paper, scissors."

"No one plays rock, paper, scissors behind their back." I grinned back, guiding his hand and gaze forward. "Besides, that's a game of luck. You know you have the advantage there."

"What do you mean?" Atem's eyes were the picture of innocence, but his fingers tightened on mine as we joined the queue of people already started outside the office building. I was surprised that he continued to hold me; it wasn't like two men being together was something that we could show off very well in Japan. Before, there had been times where he would rather keep his distance than have to deal with the glares or slack-jawed stares. I never blamed him for that, since I understood the sentiment. Now, he was smiling and clutching onto me shamelessly - probably trying to throw me off for the game to come. Either way, however he wanted to appear, I was at his side.

"You know what I mean. You have a sense of luck that I don't. I can almost guarantee that you'll win if we play that kind of game." I massaged his hand in both of mine, kneading the joints and knuckles.

"Is that what you think?" His eyes glinted at me as he recited his heart-racing catchphrase. "Rock, paper, scissors is a game of psychological deduction. Skill is definitely involved, and I'm sure that with your talents, you can develop an algorithm for victory."

We were playing a game, about playing a game. I could feel the tension in the air, and knew I wouldn't lose to this kind of challenge. "But you'll constantly disrupt the algorithm and corrupt the dataset. I know how you work."

"It's not like I'm testing the algorithm for no reason. I'm revealing its flaws, showing you the gaps in its defenses that need to be shored up. It makes it stronger." He placed his free hand, his left hand, over mine. Quite suddenly, I realized how bare his fingers were. Even his gloves were fingerless, showing off every bony knuckle and joint. I wanted to cover him in gold, enough rings for every promise I could think of to stay by his side.

"Stronger." I echoed, and I leaned down, and kissed his ring finger. "Then why don't we play, and see what we can make?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm glad I wrote most of Pridecember ahead of time... idk what's going on with me lately but I've been sleeping extra hours for no reason, and have lost the motivation to do anything besides play garbage mobile games and work (not that I'm motivated to work, but I am motivated to have a paycheck). My whole mood right now is just... *sighs*.... and that's it. I'm thinking that this whole drop in mood might just be my menstrual cycle, but I've never had it hit like this before, or to the point where I'm sleeping like 12 hours and still feeling tired.
> 
> Haha I don't know what I'm trying to say... well I meant to have a new WIP published soon but idk what's going to happen. I want to do so many things, and I still have to finish AUgust. If you follow me on Tumblr @blue-and-amaranth you can see all the funky little one-shots I keep writing for the YGO fanart that rolls across my dash. That's really filling me with joy rn... if you don't follow me, that's cool too, just plumb the 'it's my writing' tag and you'll find 'em.


	17. Movie Night

"You're acting like you've never seen an in-home theater before." I smirked, knowing full well that Yugi and his friends _had_ never seen an in-home theater before.

"Well, we aren't all corporate bastards running our own company." Jonouchi mumbled. I just smiled, not responding to his insults.

"Hey, be nice." Honda punched the blond's arm, grabbing his attention. "He can always kick you out."

There were couches and bean bags spread out across the rooms spacious floor, and they were quickly spreading themselves out among them. Yugi and Atem had wanted everyone that still lived in Japan to come, so it was a surprisingly large group. Otogi, Honda, Shizuka, Jonouchi, and Ryou, most of them settling in nicely. A few (notably Jonouchi) were too loud for my taste, but as since I got a seat alone in the back with Atem, I was content.

A soft smile beamed up at me, encouraging what little faith I had in this arrangement. He knew I was far out of my comfort zone. "Thank you, Kaiba."

"It's not a big deal." Wait, did he want to sit with his friends? He had lingered for a moment beside Jonouchi and Yugi's shared couch on our way over. Atem was, after all, the one who had thought to invite the whole group. Maybe I was supposed to let him go over. I wasn't going to get involved with all that noise and wriggling, but he seemed to enjoy it. "Do you... want to sit with them?"

Atem's head was nestled into the crook of my arm, his mouth idly pressing kisses into my collarbone. At my words, he half-sat up, surprised by the statement. "Do you want to?"

"No."

Now he was smiling, nuzzling back into my neck as Mokuba began reading off a list of movies to choose from. "Then I'll stay here."

"Are you sure?" I pressed. Of course I wanted him here, but I didn't want him to pretend for my sake.

"Yes, I'm sure." They had decided to watch an action movie, and the lights were turning off, showering us in night. "I don't want to be anywhere else, OK? Trust me. There's plenty of time to be with everyone else after the movie."

My fears settled, I let my head rest on the soft pile of sable and red. "Good."

Flashing lights, loud explosions, and shouted swears shook the theater as the movie ran its course. I'm not a big fan of passive entertainment, but I could feel Atem's body wriggling against me at each twist and turn in the movie. The barely-constructed plot-line wavered between fireworks and women in scanty clothes, punctuated with flying fists. It wasn't something I would watch on my own. I enjoyed it, with him next to me.

Sometime in the darkness, I felt his mouth rub against mine, and I leaned into it, letting him distract me. Since there wasn't any resistance, I deepened the kiss, and he moaned, very softly, his throat vibrating against my tongue.

"Hey!" Yugi's sharp call broke the moment, and my head snapped up as I realized it was directed my way. I scowled, and he stuck his tongue out at me. "You can do that when we leave."

Atem's gaze trailed away sheepishly, and now the other's eyes were all focused on us, shining curiosity in the movie's glow. Crossing my arms and settling back into the chair, I didn't even try to hide my anger.

Atem crept up to my side again, his nose nuzzling into my shoulder as he looked for a place to lay. Sighing and letting him in, I pressed my cheek against the top of his head, feeling his legs sling over my lap.

"Just watch the movie." He whispered, as if he hadn't started distracting me in the first place.

I smiled, and bit his ear. "Shut up."


	18. Silver

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. This contains some light bondage elements, and mention of past child abuse ^u^ (I gotta update the tags lmao, I'll probs do it on the 31st)
> 
> 2\. In Ancient Egypt, silver was worth more than gold

"Hey, pretty boy." There was metal holding my wrists, metal cinching my ankles, cold metal wrapping around my waist to hold my bonds together. My hands were chained down around my hips, my shoulders and face resting on the bed as I was forced to present my ass for inspection. Atem was standing over me, his hands warm on my shoulders "Talk to me."

"I'm fine." I replied, my teeth grinding together. I wasn't fine. Something terrible and ingrained was rearing its ugly head inside me, begging me to rage, to break out, to throw Atem out the window for daring to pin me up. I was never going to be pinned down again. I was not powerless.

His fingers rubbed knots out of my spine, trying to coax me into relaxing. Not just my wrists, but my neck, arms and thighs were wrapped in pretty silver necklaces, all silver, with no gems or gold to dilute the pure white my body was now covered with. I felt weighed down, and shining. I was trapped, and I was freed by his gentle, soothing praise.

"If it's too much, just tell me. I'm not going to hurt you without your permission."

I shifted on the mattress, turning my head so he couldn't see my face. I could take it. I was going to take it. I wasn't going to be weak and ruin it for him. "No, it's fine. Just... get the lube."

Now his mouth was biting into my neck, caressing the soft folds of my scapula. "No."

I shuddered, his breath raising my hairs. It was a subtle motion, but it sent all the metal clattering, and my wrists reminded me that they were clamped down. My mind panicked, as if I hadn't realized up until now what the bonds were for. All too quickly, it was overwhelming, and I writhed in my spot, unable to move my limbs how I wanted. Nonverbal, st _ay_ _quiet, just stay quiet and he'll stop hitting you sooner. Mokuba, where is he?_ He's not in the house _, so it's OK this time... but if he's not in the house, where is he?_

**He is at college, and Gozaburo is dead.**

"Duel Disc, _fuck_ Duel Disc." I swore our safe word through clenched teeth, managing to pull out of my thoughts just before I went under. My breaths were coming faster and faster, anxiety pooling hot in my stomach as I drowned. It was almost too late, but Atem knew how to move fast. Without me quite noticing, I found myself rolled onto my back, still weighed down by metal but no longer trapped by the straps. Hissing, I scrabbled at my neck, suddenly annoyed by the weight pressing on my throat. The rest of my body could shine, but I wasn't going to let my breathing get cut off again.

"I'm sorry." Atem was staring down at me, wide-eyed, his hands pulling my head clear of all the clinging silver. "I pushed you too quickly."

"I'm fine." I insisted, and pretended my voice didn't break. "I'm not going to get better unless I try. And... I want to get better, and do that with you." I gestured at the metal chains that still dripped from my body, losing their bite of terror now that they were open. "I want to be able to enjoy it." Almost to myself, I added, "I'm going to enjoy it."

Atem crawled onto the bed beside me, concerned but not pitying. Thank gods he never pitied me. "You don't need to, Kaiba. If you don't like it, that's perfectly within your rights."

I shook my head stubbornly. "I do like it."

He hummed softly, neither positive or negative. He didn't ask questions. What would I have done if he had? Pulling my up so we were sitting face-to-face, he pressed his forehead against mine. He was dressed only in gold, his body suited to the jewelry that adorned his bronze skin. I was just pale and trembling, nowhere near as graceful as he seemed to be, the delicate, clinging chain links flowing across his skin like a song. Our breaths mingled, however, warm and hot as he held my face in his hands. I needed it, more than I wanted to admit, taking deep gasps of his oxygen as I clung to his slender frame.

"Do you want to know why I covered you in silver?" His lips caressed mine, his head turning to press against my mouth.

I shook my head, feeling numbness wash over my body. It was the protection from the pain I had expected, but I hated it. I wanted to feel. I wanted to feel him on my skin, and know exactly what color his eyes were, and learn the taste of his blood.

"Because there is nothing more valuable to my culture, or to me." Atem was pulling back, leaving me to chase his lips. Smiling, he let me catch up, leaning suddenly into the kiss as our mouths met.

Curious, I let the kiss be brief. "What do you mean?"

"I think that silver is more precious than gold. It's... so beautiful." His fingers traced the links of silver jewelry dripping from my shoulders, my body bare except for the warming chafe of the metal covering me over. "So pure, almost the same color as the stars. It's funny, though, because now that I've seen your eyes, I don't think there's anything that matches the starlight so well."

"S-stop." I mumbled, and I kissed him again, hoping that he would do anything but show me that ridiculous kindness. I could give it to him, and I could see his happiness shine out like a sun. But if I ever even tried to receive that in return, surely I would break. He could tear me apart. He could wreck me in two. But if he ever tried to make my life easier, I would kill him. There was no way I could exist, I promised myself.

I breathed hard, my shoulders shaking as a heavy sob wracked through my chest. All the jewelry shook and clattered, chaotic light sparking across the room. I didn't cry, just letting my eyes burn as I fought for breath again and again.

Atem didn't say a word, or I might have died. His hands traced my skin, pulling me on top of him, dragging us down onto the bed in a shining puddle. I was loud, and he was quiet, my weight pinning him down as my face found the crook of his neck. I wasn't made out of silver. I was messy, and alive. He was glowing from within, practically made out of sunlight. I was just the man who happened to be around his shining gold. There was no way I could be more precious than that; he was lying. He had known it, and I knew it now. My Atem was just lying, the way you lie to a child to make them stop crying. I didn't need to cry, because I was only being handed an illusion.

Somewhere between here and there, I fell asleep, my eyelids dropping as I tried to cope. I had hardly done anything, but I was tired. When I woke up, Atem was gone, and so was most of my jewelry. Surprised that he had been able to remove it without me noticing, I realized that I had been far deeper asleep than I usually was. Most nights, Atem shifting around on the bed was enough to make me wake up.

His steps soft, Atem crept back into our room, his eyes lighting up as he realized I was awake. "Hello, pretty." He cooed, and it was in his dead language, still living inside our memories. I just blinked at him, still lying back on the cushions. I didn't trust myself to speak yet, still groggy. Atem's weight on the bed was light, barely disturbing the plushy mattress as he sat down. His hands were calloused, his fingers dragging toughly over my skin, finding the lines of silver that still remained, chasing the blue veins on my body.

"Don't call me that." I said softly, my voice rough from sleep. His head cocked up at me curiously, and it was only now that I realized I had responded in the same language. Continuing boldly, I proclaimed, "You're lying to me."

He frowned, and I caught a brief glimpse of his whirlwind underneath, the fire that made my bones quiver. Somehow seeing it like this was far more terrifying and real then any time I had ever seen it before. He had always been at arm's length, a king on his golden throne. But now I was decked in silver, and he was only gold.

"Who told you that?" Atem's hand was warm on mine, tight, clasping my fingers in a tangled knot. "Who dared to make you think something so _wrong_?"

I bit my lip, worrying the flesh in my teeth. It hurt. I was choosing between everything I had ever learned, and the wind that had blasted it all apart. Uncertain, I dropped my eyes to the sheets, realizing my face had grown hot as I refused to answer. I loved him. I loved him so much.

"Seto... I am not mad at _you_. I would never be mad at you like this." His tone had changed, and he kissed my cheek, lingering over my skin.

"I know. And that's harder." I swallowed. If he was angry at me, I knew how to feel. If he was lusting after me, I knew how to feel. If he was looking up at me with admiration after I had done something incredible, I would know what these emotions were. But I had failed, and I was being praised. What was supposed to be surging inside me now?

Maybe, he understood. He had always understood me before, the only man who had ever risen to my challenge. Without responding to my words, he squeezed my hands. "Do you want to get up? There's something I want you to show me."

He was back to speaking Japanese, and I followed suit. "Sure."

Atem was quick to move, his body swaying as he led me out of the bed, out of the room. My head spun groggily, and I stumbled a bit as he tugged too hard. Immediately slowing down, Atem stopped to kiss my fingers, still wrapped by silver rings.

"Wait." I stopped him before we left the room, grabbing a bathrobe out of the closet. I wasn't counting on avoiding all the servants in the house.

He smiled at me, his hands soothing the fabric down and helping me to tie it up. "Ready?"

"Yes."

Now I followed him, still unsure of his intentions. Maybe he would just fuck me on the couch, and we would put this whole thing behind us. That would be easy, after all. I would just lose my mind in it, and I would satisfy his desires from earlier, which would mean I hadn't failed. Eager, I let him lead me into our living room - but the furniture had been rearranged. There was a table by the bay window, which looked out onto the garden. There was a chess board on the table, and two chairs drawn up to it. One chair was taller, and the other was mine, dragged out of the place it usually lurked.

"Sit." Atem dragged out my chair, and I sat, surprisingly unperturbed by his little courtesy. Sometimes, those things drove me crazy, in a completely irrational way. Surely I could take care of myself. I can pull out a chair, or open a door. But so could Atem.

He sat across from me, and looked up expectantly. "I've never played chess before."

I laughed at that. I couldn't help it. "Seriously?"

He crossed his arms, blowing his bangs out of his face. "Yeah, really. I want to learn how to play."

"What, so you can beat me in this too?" I was only half-joking. Now he was really mad, and I caught a glimpse of the lurking beast in his lowered eyebrows.

"Not at all. You're a master of this game. I'm here to learn from you." He dropped his head humbly, and once again, I had to realize that he wasn't angry at me. "I found this chess set among Mokuba's old things... he said I could have it if I wanted. I think it's so beautiful."

I had probably gotten this for my brother's birthday present one year, but I didn't remember when. For the first time, I noticed the colors of the pieces; dark mahogany for black, and silver for white. The board was turned so I was playing white.

"Do... do you know how the pieces work?" I remembered Atem's words, and I knew what these pieces meant. I was silver. I was the purest color of the stars.

Reddish eyes looked over red-black pieces, polished so that they shone just as brightly as the silver. "No. Teach me everything, please."


	19. Frustration

There were hands slammed down on the table, annoyed huffs, and possibly a growl or two. Curious, I looked up from my tablet, unsure of the noises I heard from the other room. For now, I decided to ignore it, going back to the news.

A moment later, I heard a much louder clatter, and this concerned me. Leaving my tablet on the coffee table, I followed the noises to find my boyfriend standing over a fallen chair. His back was to me, his hands clenched into fists as he ground his heel down into the chair.

"Atem?"

He turned back towards me, his eyes bright with a terrifying emotion. The only thing I could think was that I never wanted to piss him off. The last time he had turned those eyes on me, I had ended up in a simulation of my own death. "It's nothing." He scoffed, shoving his smart-phone into his pocket in a quick, dismissive motion. 

I nodded slowly, unsure of how to proceed. Seeing Atem mad like this was a foreign situation for me, and I was even less sure of how to respond to his emotions than usual. 

He seemed to sense my worry, picking up the chair and sighing at the ceiling in an attempt to defuse the tension. "I'm not having a lot of fun learning how to play chess. All the apps I downloaded on my phone... even the basic AI can still beat me."

I smirked a bit at that, coming closer to soothe his ruffled feathers. I was perfectly safe next to him. I didn't need to forget that. "So, it seem there _are_ some games that can stump you." I wrapped my arms around him loosely, grabbing his phone out of his pocket in a smooth motion. He didn't need to have it back for a little while. "I think you care too much about games, Pharaoh."

He buried his head in my chest. "Ever thought about that for yourself?"

I shook my head. "Never."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the kind words, just want to say that 👍 I'm feeling better now mentally... I watched Duel Opera and re-watched some comfort videos/re-read some comfort fics and called out of work. I already feel like a million bucks ^^ the only way I could be happier is if I were a million bucks sitting in Kaiba's back pocket (heheheh). I realize now that I recently changed my daily routine and that had a bigger impact on me than I expected... well, here's to finishing out strong on Pridecember! It's allllllmost Christmas already!


	20. Slow

"Progress is progress, pretty boy, no matter how long it takes."

This time, he had actually gotten a few fingers inside me before I lost it, my mind spiraling down into despair. He had caught my anxiety just in time, unstrapping me from the restraints before I got lost in an anxiety attack.

"I know, but it's not enough." I hissed, kneading my temples in my hands. I was on the verge of tears again, my body refusing to comply with my will. Without thinking, I found myself saying, "I hate him."

Atem looked at me curiously before realizing who I was talking about. The one who I would always hate, the cause of all the wounds he found on my skin, someone I had once called a father. "I know. I hate him too."

Our hands wound up together, pressed against my chest as I dragged him closer. I needed his warmth, his comfort stretched against me. This time, I wasn't even worn out by the weight of restraint, more energized than anything. Ignoring the way my eyes burned, I squeezed him tight, hard enough to make his breaths loud and rough in my ears.

"I have a secret to tell you." I mumbled, and his mouth crooked into a smile against my shoulder. "You know that this was his bedroom, a long time ago."

Dangerous eyes sparkled up at me, intrigued by the confession. "Is that so?"

"The furniture and the decor have all been changed." I could run through the changes, mechanical, if I didn't think about how much my voice was cracking. "I updated the carpets last year. Some of the walls had to be taken down just to get the smell of cigar smoke out of the house."

Atem wriggled, gaining some more space for himself so he could kiss me jaw, his heat travelling down my skin. The cold of the jewelry and the burn of his mouth contrasted on my skin, forcing me to stay in the moment. I couldn't retreat into numbness this time, trapped by my tears and his care.

"I hate those shitty cigars. They had to be worth a fortune... he smoked at least one every night, and one or two more at breakfast. He knew I hated them, and dropped the ashes on my desk when I was studying. My middle school uniform was white, so I had to use my books to knock that shit onto his carpet." I was babbling, going back to the memories I knew so well. Over and over again, every day almost the same as the last, characterized only by my own invention and the new layers of dirt my soul picked up.

Slow hands crept up my chest, deep bites savaged my throat to make me whine. "You've never told me about your childhood before." He mumbled, pulling back to gauge my expression. Gently rubbing his thumbs over my face, Atem's eyes were full of... something. My vision blurred, and I couldn't make it out. "Do you want to keep talking about it?" He continued patiently.

"I want to spit in his fucking face one more damn time." I huffed, reaching up to wipe my eyes clean. "I want to leave this room painted with your cum."

He touched my arms, and kissed my cheeks, his motions slow and sensual as he dragged his bare body across my lap. Once again, he was dressed in nothing but gold, and I was heavy with silver, the jewelry he had chosen for me.

"Then show me." Atem was challenging me, his breath brushing across my face as he smiled, as heated as a thunderstorm. "Take your time, and show me everything."


	21. Animals

"I want to take her home." Atem's hands were full of night, black, fluffy, and mewling to be let down. "I have named her Kauket, and she is mine now."

I rolled my eyes, shooing at him to put the cat down. "We aren't here to adopt today, just to play."

"I have played enough. I am ready to commit." He replied earnestly, and I found myself smiling at his earnest expression. Taking him to the animal shelter for a date had turned out even better than I had expected.

"Well, I'm not ready to step in cat shit. You need some more responsibility and expertise with animals before we take anyone home." At my stern look, he finally placed the cat back on the floor, and she scampered away, joining her companions. "Soon, OK? I promise. We'll come here every week to volunteer until you're ready for your own cat."

He nodded, kissing my fingers idly before drifting away to chase another black-furred cutie. "I'll hold you to that, you know. You'll have to be home on the weekends so we can come here."

I smiled. "I know." This was my own test of responsibility. "I'll be with you, no matter what."


	22. Blanket

Alarm clock went off, blaring in my ears to blast me out of sleep. I fumbled in the dark, hissing as my phone didn't immediately come to my hand. Managing to find the button eventually, I lay back in the silence, stopping to breathe as I felt Atem stir next to me. I didn't want to get up yet, and I decided to use him as an excuse to lay back in the sheets. I would wait for Atem to get up so I could kiss him good-morning before I left.

His nose caressed my shoulder, his sleepy hands dragging the blankets back over my body. "Stay."

There was definitely more sleep than consciousness in that voice, and it made me smile. Everything about him made me smile, but I was usually able to keep it under wraps. Well, sometimes he made my blood burn, but that was something completely different. It had more to do with our pride as true Duelists then as lovers, or so I had always assumed. Now, I was less certain. "I have to work."

"No."

It was hard to argue with that, as it was technically true. I could retire today and never go back in to the office. I had enough money to live comfortably for the rest of eternity. But that was nowhere near as important as the softness of the sheets holding me down, the little breath stirring against my neck.

Rolling over, I spread my arms, letting Atem crawl closer, pulling that warmth against me as we settled the blankets once again. "OK."


	23. Bite

"So that's the finalized design for Celtic Guardian. We're working on the dragons next, so let me know if you want any special input." Yugi was talking to me, but his eyes were focused just a little below my face. Whatever he was staring at, he was really transfixed, barely blinking as his eyes refused to leave my figure.

Unsettled, I subtly glanced down at my dress shirt. Did it have a stain on it? Had I spilled coffee on myself without noticing? Nothing met my inspection except white fabric. "I trust the design team. The only dragon I want input on is Blue-Eyes."

He seemed distracted, responding vaguely.

"What is it?" I finally blurted, annoyed at his sudden reticence. "What are you looking at?"

Yugi stammered for a moment, his hands raising defensively as he scrambled for the words. "Your... it's your neck."

"What?" I picked up my phone, pulling up the camera to take a look at myself. " _Oh._ "

Dark red against my faded skin, there was a definite love-bite, the same size as Atem's perfect mouth. Had he marked me last night? He must have. I didn't remember getting bitten. Another rose bloomed under the edge of my collar, and I pushed the fabric away to find a trail of hickeys leading down my chest. Deciding to save the rest of my investigation for later, I pulled my collar up to try to hide it. No deal; it was just high enough to show off the bruise no matter what I did.

Yugi looked mortified, his cheeks flushed rosy pink as he shifted subtly in his seat. I smirked at him, shooting him a tight glance. He immediately looked away, refusing to meet my eyes.

"Well. that's unfortunate." I remarked. "Thank you for bringing it to my attention. Is there anything else you need from me right now?"

He stood up, already heading for the door. "Nope, that's all! Just checking in."

"Alright. Keep up the good work." I couldn't hold back a laugh as Yugi almost fled out the door, amused by his almost childish reaction. Opening my shirt collar again, I lifted my phone, snapping a picture of the bites. Atem would want to see the marks he left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I nearly forgot to post this-


	24. Visual Kei

"Are you ready to go?" Atem smoothed his wild hair down, his wrists weighted and jangling with jewelry.

Grunting my assent, I adjusted my hood and scarf, looking at myself in the mirror one more time. The goal was not to be recognized as the celebrity I was, and this was a convincing disguise. Not only could I wear a flowing coat like I was used to, I also had a ridiculous amount of belts and straps holding my outfit together, hiding my form. Atem had also had the idea to scrub my bangs to one side, leaving part of my forehead exposed. His lean fingers had scraped through my hair, but now they were looping in my pocket, tugging on me impatiently.

He was dressed in a similar color palette to mine, all blacks and dark reds. Like me, he had chosen clothes that would conceal his figure more than reveal it, but his garments still left a lot of skin showing under lace and fishnets. Leaning down to his collar, I stopped to bite his throat, my lips kissing leather. "You look good."

Atem's hands dragged through my bangs again. "So do you. The part in your hair really suits you."

I drew back, satisfied at the sizable hickey I had left behind. "You think so?" I didn't like it, but at least I could make him smile. "Well, let's go. I don't want to be late for the openers."

Glittering pools of fire blazed up at me, my heart stuttering at their sudden intensity. "That's right."

The concert venue was just a bar downtown, sizable enough but hardly the sort of place I would usually be in. Our strange attire blended in with the rest of the crowd, decked out in black lace and Lolita dresses. It was all silver jewelry and flapping coats, a rising sense of energy assaulting my senses. I had been nervous before we walked in, sure that even with what we were wearing, someone would recognize us. Now, my fears had all but ceased, soothed by the rowdy chants for music.

Atem gripped my hand as the band walked onto cozy stage, long hair and wild eyes hiding male from female in the desperate mix. I nearly missed his whisper as the guitars blazed a wild opening, sending a visible shock of desire through the crowd.

"I'm so glad I'm alive."


	25. Sweet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas!

"It's not going to kill me?"

"Nope."

"It's not burnt or undercooked?"

"Nope."

"You've tasted some yourself, and it was good?"

Now Atem shoved my shoulder, annoyed at my line of questions. Mokuba seemed amused, peering at us over his glasses as he watched our exchange. My brother was currently surrounded by wrapping paper, opening each Christmas gift with the calculated air of a farmer appraising new livestock.

"Eat the cake, Kaiba." The Pharaoh commanded, then added, "You'll like it."

I didn't have the heart to tell him that I wasn't a big fan of sweets, but his homemade cake looked too pretty not to eat. He had swirled the frosting perfectly, and the top was garnished with a little half-strawberry, carefully sliced. "What flavor is it?" I picked up a fork and knife, carefully cutting off a bite with all the manners I had been taught.

"It's chocolate cake with strawberry frosting, and strawberry drizzle." A line of red dribbled off my fork, syrupy and shining. Carefully gathering the droplets on my slice, I took a slow bite, letting the flavors wash over me. For once, he had done good. The frosting was fruity, the chocolate sharp on my tongue without becoming harsh. He had slightly burned the drizzle, but the presentation more than made up for the tiny mistake. I noticed that I was humming, a low note that had Atem's eyes shining.

"It's good." I said, digging in for another bite. "Thank you, Atem."

Grinning and pumping one fist in the air, he let out an exhilarated howl. "I'm not banned from the kitchen anymore, right?"

"Not when it comes to dessert." I negotiated carefully, knowing this could get out of hand. "If you want to make a meal, you still need my direct supervision."

Looking for an ally, Atem sheltered behind Mokuba, who gave him a brief thumbs-up. "Can I have some of the cake, Nii-sama?"

I nodded, scooping up a bite to offer him on my fork. His satisfied expression proved that I wasn't hallucinating the good taste. Atem had actually pulled it off. "Wow, it's so good! I'm sure Atem can cook all kinds of other good food, too!"

I immediately snatched my fork away, glaring at the two. "I don't doubt his ability to cook, more like the chances that our house is going to burn down... "

"Liar." Atem challenged, and his voice had the barest hint of a growl.

If he thought that would make me back down, he was a fool. My heart raced as he crossed his arms, his head tilting back in that arrogant expression I knew so well. "What do you mean? I don't mind acknowledging your skills - but only the ones you actually have."

"You say that, but you still asked me if the cake was good before you even ate it. For someone who trusts my skills, you seem pretty suspicious."

Breathing in, breathing out, read his expression, determine the situation, find an angle of attack - a process I had internalized, the only way for me to plan against him. He was always turning on a dime, changing strategies as quickly as I could make new ones. In that case, I had to be a few steps ahead just to survive.

"Relax, it was a joke." Unlikely, but the only thing I had to save face. "I ate it, didn't I? And I certainly enjoyed it. However, the kitchen has been full of smoke ever since you've gone in there. It's starting to clear out now, but regardless of your skill with the dish's flavor, you still have a penchant for setting things on fire."

He was going back around the table to me, each step weighted as I listed my objections.

"I'm not letting that in my kitch - !" A lithe hand gripped my chair, tipping it on its back legs and lifting my feet in the air. Panicked at the sudden gravity, I gripped the table, and found myself staring up into Atem's face. Nervous, I kicked my feet, trying to right myself, but he was strong, and I was losing my balance. His breaths kissed my lips before his mouth did, crashing into me while he held my chair steady.

My fingers and toes curled at the sensation, and I let out a startled gasp against his mouth, the tension dropping out of my spine. He lingered, and I tasted strawberries. Had he been sampling his own creation while he was cooking?

Far too soon, he settled the chair on the floor, and I lurched forward, already missing his taste. "Huh." I snorted, frantically remembering that Mokuba was in the room. My brother was grinning, his eyes flicking between my face and his unopened gifts. Atem was smirking at me too, the natural crook of his lips that declared him the winner.

"Nedjem... " He breathed, and he licked his lips. My body went cold, then hot, my oldest memories translating the word despite myself. _Sweet_.

I managed to loosen my grip on the table, my heels digging into the flat ground. "You... I'm still not letting you in the kitchen." I hated the way my voice shook, loved the way that my mind tipped into oblivion at just his touch. I wasn't in control; I wasn't in control.

Now he glared, and I smiled. Sometimes, there were some ways that I could hold him.


	26. New Car

"Seriously? All over my new seats?" I bit my lip, knowing that the windows were tinted, knowing we were parked in the middle of nowhere. All the same, my mind was going wild, blaring the unceasing thought that any passerby might see inside. If they did, what a sight they would have...

Atem had suggested getting me out of the house, out of my normal mindset, hoping that we could reach the breakthrough we wanted. Once again, my hands were cinched to my hips, my body weighted in silver and straps. This time, my ankles weren't chained, a small mercy.

Tonight, we were taking this so much slower, after Atem had apologized for rushing us forward the last few times. I had barely accepted the apology, as I hadn't even understood what he had done wrong. I should have been able to take it. But now that he was going slow, I understood our earlier mistakes. Instead of overwhelming me, he was holding back, not giving me enough, making me want more. I wanted him.

I had bought a new car with dark windows, and the stuffy sweet smell of a new car was fresh in my lungs. It was the message of money, familiar and oddly comforting. So was the way Atem's hands had massaged my spine, his suit and tie a sharp contrast to my nude, spangled body. I felt like I was made of treasure, a toy in the hands of a king.

What had elicited my mock complaint was the slick, wet noise his lubed hand made as he stroked himself, getting off on watching my body as I shamelessly lifted my ass into the air. I was on my knees, asshole twitching in the cold air as I let my weight lean into the plushy seats. His noises had only grown more heated, his hot release splattering against my skin a few moments later. Of course, the seats would be stained. I didn't care.

I was still tied down, and vulnerable, my position sending spikes of anxiety rippling through my stomach. However, the feeling of Atem's cum dripping down my thighs was far more pleasurable, my intense desire strengthened by the way he mumbled my name as he rode the high of his orgasm.

"Touch me." I whined. I'd had enough of being tied up alone, and my fingers wriggled at my side. I wished I could jerk myself off, to get some kind of release here.

His clean hand found my calf, rubbed it soothingly as he gasped for breath. "Soon." He promised. A moment later, his warmth left my body, his hands pulling away. I couldn't see him without twisting my neck uncomfortably, so I waited patiently and listened. It seemed that he was taking off his clothes, stripping down bare to the few, tasteful pieces of jewelry he had worn. A moment later, his strong arms were wrapping around me from behind, his face nuzzling my shoulders. His kisses were wet, sloppy, loving.

I sighed softly, letting his weight settle on me, stretching out to make it easier for his tiny form to cover me. I loved to have him on me, _here_. Nowhere else.

Slowly, his hand dropped to my perky dick, massaging it in his hand until I was writhing. I loved his heat, the sensual way he kept kissing my flushed skin as he took me in hand. "Atem. Atem." His name left my lips, an unintended prayer to my highest god.

He nibbled on my shoulder, returning my name back. "Seto... " He drowsed it, sleepy and sexy. I couldn't hold the hands that wandered my chest, or hold back the wave of fear that washed over me as his tongue found my oldest scars. Dropping my head to the seat, I let him kiss up and down the length of the wound, fighting with myself. Atem was allowed to see this. Atem wanted to see me like this. He loved me, and loved winding the chains around my body, constricting my movements. I was going to meet his challenge, and accept the burden. I would give him all the pleasure my body could handle.

And yet, every time the metal chafed my skin, it felt wrong, wrong, _wrong_. An echo of all the times I had failed, and been punished. There was no way I was good enough for Atem. I'm the same foolish child that got kicked around like an unwanted toy when I failed.

"Where are you, Seto?" Gentle, but not pitying. If his tone had held even an ounce of sympathy, I might have killed him.

"Here." I responded, slow to give the response. He leaned over me, nuzzling his face into the side of my neck as his feet rubbed my calf.

"Alright. Are you still good?"

"I'm fine."

"What if I put my finger inside you? Is that OK?"

I choked on my desire, my blood burning at the thought. "Ye-es."

Atem kissed me, forgiving the break in my voice and the way my body began to tremble. "Just let me know if it's too much. I'll do whatever you need."

Insistent, urgent, I replied, "I need you."

He paused, and I felt his little smile against my shoulder. "I need you, too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I worked Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, if you called in for customer service on either of those days then fuck you. Also please enjoy this thing I nearly forgot to post lol


	27. Onesies

"I don't like it."

Atem glared at me. Apparently _distaste_ wasn't an option here. "I told you we're doing matching outfits for Christmas. I even texted you a picture three weeks ago. You said it was fine."

I cast my mind back, trying to remember when I had ever approved of those plushy, Blue-Eyes-themed onesies. They even had the clawed feet, and wings on the back. Mortifying, childish things, the dull blue eyes rolled at me as Atem brandished the suit in my direction. "I seriously doubt that."

Atem pulled out his phone, teeth grit as he began scrolling through our messages. "Mokuba put his on without any fuss." He grumbled.

"And where's yours?" I challenged, pulling the elaborate pajamas out of his hands as he kept scrolling. I just wanted to feel it, get my hands on the whole mess. It was soft, deceptively so, and sleek in my hands.

"Mine's still hanging up." He brandished his phone in my face, and I scanned the message, my stomach sinking as I realized what had happened. He had texted me while I was working, and I had idly replied to the message without viewing the picture attached, giving him full reign over this year's Christmas pictures. I was screwed, out-played. "Go get changed."

\---

"The pictures turned out great, huh?" Mokuba smiled, holding up the package from the photography studio. "Think we can turn these over to the media or something?"

"Absolutely not. These are family pictures." I hissed, far too quickly.

Mokuba gave me an odd look, then let a slow grin spread over his face. "What's wrong? Don't we look like such a happy family? I mean, we'd be happier if there was a cat here... but I'm sure these would make a great PR release."

Now Mokuba and Atem were conspiring to get a cat in the house, too? When had my boyfriend turned my own flesh and blood against me? Biting my lip, I struggled for a reply before blurting out, "It might be a happier picture if KaibaCorp had a new VP. Give me those pictures."

Mokuba rolled his eyes, handing over the envelope. Despite our ridiculous costumes, the pictures did look nice. Most of them were of the three of us, but there were a few with just me and Atem. Curious, I studied my own face, surprised to see how deep the bags under my eyes were. Maybe I did need some rest. In all the pictures where my eyes were trained on Atem, I looked more relaxed, a half-smile on my face. No surprise there.

Self-conscious, I wondered if I was always smiling when Atem was around. Flipping through the rest of the pictures - Mokuba and Atem holding staged gift boxes, all three of us snuggled up on a huge couch - there was one where I was smiling innocently, eyes closed, a genuine laugh obvious by my features. Atem was looking up at me. His face was full of... I refused to name the emotion, but the word rose to my mind, unbidden.

Was it pride? He was _proud_ of me? I couldn't even imagine _why_.

Mokuba was there too, grabbing onto my arm and grinning. Just for a few minutes, we had been a normal family. It made me choke on my breath, studying Atem's expression intently. He didn't seem to share in our mirth, more interested in my reaction. I didn't remember that moment clearly in my mind, but I did recall a time when he had cracked a joke and Mokuba had grabbed onto me, shaking with laughter. It was funny, and I had laughed too. Maybe that's when this had happened.

"The pictures!" Atem crowed, suddenly bounding into the room. I shivered, quickly shuffling the pictures like I had been caught looking at something bad. "Look at us... well, looks like you turned out pretty handsome in the end, huh?"

A family of three Blue-Eyes White Dragons; even I had to admit it was a little cute. "At least my onesie actually fits me." I shook off the compliment, and he punched my arm lightly.

"Shut up. Let's figure out what needs to be framed and what's going in the scrapbook." I let him take the lead, occasionally giving my input when he asked a question. I was watching him the whole time, wondering about the way he had looked at me in the photo. How often does he look at me with such admiration? What did I need to do to earn that look when Atem stared me in the eyes?

Sensing my gaze, Atem turned to me abruptly, leaning towards me. "What is it?"

I stammered, finding myself flustered by the sudden gaze. He had shattered my composure so easily. "N-nothing. Nothing at all."


	28. Chest

Rubbing my thumbs over Atem's nipples, I studied my lover's face expectantly. His blazing eyes were rolled back in his head, murky with desire as my breath ran over his chest. "M-more." He mumbled, his hands gripping my hair and tugging my head down.

I hummed softly, kissing the space between his pecs. Rolling his flushed peaks in my hands, I smiled, letting moans ripple out of his taut throat. "Hush." I said, low and rich. His noises subsided into whimpers, barely stifled behind one hand.

His thighs were wrapped tight around my body, his ankles crossed behind my waist. I could feel his erection through his pants, bulging impatiently on my stomach. Right now, the only item of clothing between us that had hit the floor was Atem's shirt, his arms and neck still shining with gold. One weak hand started pulling on my sleeve. "Take it off."

I shook my head, content with tormenting him. He always lost his composure so quickly, too easy to rile up. "You really need to learn some patience, Pharaoh."

"I can't... not when it's you... " He tugged my head against his chest, trapping my nose deep in his scent. "I just want you inside me, please, Kaiba. I want to touch you all over... "

I inhaled shakily, but continued to rub his nipples with feigned impassiveness. Unable to speak, I nibbled small kisses into the valley between his breasts, tasting his skin. Flicking my eyes up at him, I shot him a red-hot glare before wandering over to one nipple. Letting my fingers fall out of the way, I breathed heavily on his skin, watching his face tighten as he waited for the touch. Not wanting to disappoint him, I closed the gap, suckling at his sweetness.

A burst of noise alerted me to Atem's pleasure, his sounds almost desperate as he rutted against me. Was he already tipping over the edge? I smirked at that thought, and bit down, wondering how rough I had to be before he would make me stop.

Surprisingly, his moans only grew louder. Intrigued, I eased off for a moment before clamping my teeth together again.

His reaction was almost immediate. Narrow hips jittered against my stomach, and Atem gave a desperate call of my name that incited all my passion for blood. Pinning his arms against the bed, I dipped my face into his skin, tearing into his chest as he gripped the sheets and dug his heels into my back. "Please, please, take me. Take me." His words grew choppy, his body arching into my teeth.

I was barely getting started, and he was already on the verge just from my touch on his chest. That made me smile, a wave of euphoria spinning deliciously in my head. "Why should I? You seem pretty satisfied right now... perhaps I'll just let you cum with your clothes on... "

Atem fought against my grip, but I didn't let up, keeping him squirming uselessly. His legs clung to me, his hips rocking as he fought for better friction between us. "I won't...c-can't... _Seto_!"

That noise caught my attention, a breathless gasp that was usually reserved for an orgasm. Lifting my head, I found him staring down at me pleadingly, violet fading into murky red. He whimpered as our gazes met, still hard and pressed taut against my stomach.

"Touch me." He breathed, tears of frustration welling in his eyes. "I'll do anything."

I refused to let his wrists free. "You nearly came, just from your nipples."

Barely dipping his head, Atem acknowledged the statement without breaking eye contact. He was still breathing hard, and I could see his shoulders rising faster and faster.

"I can get you over the edge." I smirked, and I felt him shudder. His cock twitched beneath me, and I could feel his wetness through my own shirt.

"Promise?" He sobbed, his fingers working desperately against the sheets.

I scoffed at him, offended he would even ask. I was responsible for his pleasure, and I refused to disappoint. "Watch me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhahhh I'm sad because I thought I would be able to finish on time, but day 30 is going to be late ;w; at least I was on time with the others! Trust me, you're going to love the ending (or at least I will lmao).


	29. Cyber

Atem watched my movements with sharp eyes, studying every key pressed, every setting I selected in the menu. I was, very carefully, watching _him_ without trying to let him know I was.

Ever since Yugi had spilled the beans on the AI model of Atem I had made so many months ago, I had not been allowed to rest. Atem wanted pictures. He wanted to hear how I had made it. He even called it 'he', like it wasn't just a few thousand lines of code holding together a hologram. Yes, it was a painstakingly realistic hologram, designed to bring my memories to life. However, it was hardly a living being, and could barely even Duel.

I had hoped to never see the thing again, but now I was going to revisit every second of my creation with Atem at my side.

"Here he comes." The room dissolved into shades of cerulean and gold, silver walls of stone rising up. The faux pipe organ hummed, speakers rumbling with recordings of skilled composers. It was a holy melody, a tune to a god I had never known. Beside me, I saw the chill run down Atem's spine, his eyes suddenly fixed on a pair of open double-doors at the end of the aisle. Sunlight filtered through the illusion of stained glass, and the other Yugi, the other Atem, stalked into the room.

Looking back on it, I really had captured his look so well. His hips had the right jut to them, his shoulders thrown back. His jacket... now I was nitpicking, but there was an edge of pixelization in a few frames. Annoyed, I filed a note away in my mind to have that corrected. It may be a faulty program that would never see the light of day in an official capacity, but I didn't let KaibaCorp create anything less than perfection.

"So... that's how you see me, huh?" Atem's hand drifted briefly over my elbow, leaving me alone at the control panel as he strode over to the AI. Of course, the program didn't respond to seeing its own mirror: I had never programmed such a scenario into the thing. It merely smiled, crossing its arms, recognizing Atem as 'not Kaiba'. Given that the only other people it should have been interacting with were KaibaCorp scientists, that was usually sufficient.

"What do you mean? I studied and copied footage of you in Yugi's body for months to capture your essence. You may not like it, but that's how everyone sees you." I retorted, crossing my arms. I felt strangely defensive now, overcoming my nervous urge to chew on my lip.

"Whatever you say, Kaiba." Atem laughed. The AI cocked its head, watching Atem's motions. Now I got chills, both annoyed and impressed by how similar the two looked. "You didn't even update his Duel Disc."

The other recognized the words, and even the tone with which they were said. "I like the old one better. It suits me."

Atem looked back at me, still grinning. "You think I would say something like that?"

I blew my bangs out of my eyes. "I did, at the time, when I made it."

He raised his eyebrows, and I couldn't tell if he approved of it, or not. Turning back to the AI, he reached one hand out, slowly, moving to touch it.

Immediately it held up one hand, a gesture that had been programmed in. Clasping its hand gently, I saw Atem's expression change as their fingers intertwined. It changed from amusement to something...

I didn't want to name it. "He's waiting for you to upload data." I called sharply, trying to interrupt the weird moment. "That's the protocol we used when we were giving it new cards and strategies."

Atem didn't look at me, his eyes fixed on the other's neutral expression. "How?"

I left my spot at the console, striding impatiently to them. "Look." I held up my hand, and the AI turned away from Atem, lifting his hand to match mine. I let our fingers touch, my skin buzzing at the strange feeling. It was like touching fog, or a very thin piece of fabric. He was there, but not really. My palm was almost the size of his whole cold hand. Picking up on the sensation, my Crystal Cloud interface on my wrist asked for the authorization to transfer files to

My Crystal Cloud interface on my wrist picked up on the touch, and it began asking for authorization to transfer files. My own memory files, card files, tournament footage - the AI was already a huge mass of data. Atem stared up at me expectantly.

"What?" I asked, suddenly feeling self-conscious.

"Give it to him."

"Why?"

"Because he doesn't have any memories of his own. Isn't that... you know, kind of sad?"

Oh. _Oh_. Of course Atem had wanted to see this thing as soon as possible. He was empathizing with it. It was a copy of him, locked away from human sight, whose only access to memories was through someone else. This AI didn't even have his own face and body, forced to be a copy of his own inspiration.

Did Atem even realize their similarities, or had it been something subconscious? And as for myself... what had I created? And was it better to let it die, or let it live?

Taking a deep breath, I tried to calm myself down, focus on what was really going on here. Atem's empathy only existed in his mind. The AI wasn't any more real than a character in a video game, filled to the brim with files and pre-made responses. Connecting with such a being was more on Atem than anything I had done. However, the urge to dump all my new memory files of Atem into this thing was strong, prompted by a clinging, guilty rawness.

"Fine." I acquiesced, authorizing the transfer. "It might take a little while."

The AI... did it brighten up? Usually its expression was morose, or neutral, its hand staying flat against mine. This time, it mirrored Atem's gesture, curling his fingers between mine as my Crystal Cloud display let me know the upload would take about 10 minutes. Realizing that I should have made this process more streamlined, I sighed, not returning his loose squeeze. Its eyes sparkled, a dull copy of excitement.

"I wonder if it will be in love with me afterwards." I tried to joke. "After all, a lot of my new memories of you are about us dating... "

Atem shook his head firmly. "He's a 'he', and I don't think so... "

I rolled my eyes. "Why not?"

Atem snaked an arm around my waist, and the AI blinked between us, his normal reaction protocols suspended as the CPU worked on processing all this new information. "He's not me, Kaiba. He looks like me, and sometimes he acts like me. But you made someone else, and I want him to live."

I laughed uneasily, hoping that it was his sick idea of a joke. This wasn't a person. The AI wasn't some kind of new human, or something that could even think and feel for itself. Atem had probably just developed some kind of... pack bond with the computer program that looked like him. That was like him, anyway. Making friends wherever he went, whether the other liked it or not. Everything was just fine like this. "Whatever you say. I don't know how we can bring a hologram to life, but maybe there's something we can do."

Atem gripped my side. "Promise you'll try?"

"Yeah, I promise." I lied. This was stupid. Why would he want his clone to come alive? What was wrong with him? There's empathy, and then there was this ridiculous attachment. I wasn't going to humor that. He would probably forget about it, anyway.

Dead violet eyes, and living violet eyes. They were the same color, the same size and shape. Both were framed by thick lashes, swept into the same shape by their creator. However, there was nothing alike about their two expressions. "That's good." The living smiled, and I shuddered. "I'll hold you to it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Weak: Kaiba wants to fuck his hologram Atem
> 
> Peak: Kaiba wishes hologram Atem didn't exist and also it's all angst now.
> 
> Imagine latching on to one of the YGO movie throw-away characters and its AI-tem. I'd like to think that Yugi repurposes the program as a tester for Spherium II or something, any kind of happy ending that isn't just AI-tem rotting away in Kaiba's pile of expensive toys.


	30. Ring

"It's for you." Atem explained.

I stared at the ring of... was that braided grass, from our very own front lawn? I swallowed hard, knowing I was about to trample on some Ancient Egyptian custom of unending love and devotion. "It's... I'm... " I was desperately scraping together what tact I had left, hoping he would volunteer an explanation before I had to ask for one.

"It's an engagement ring." He replied, matter-of-factly. "I'll get you a better one later, but I've decided that it's time to make things official."

I choked. This was a ring made of grass. Was it really going to be our binding? And here, in my office, in between emails? "Atem... we haven't even talked... "

"I know it's unexpected, Kaiba. Trust me, I don't expect a wedding anytime soon." He threw his shoulders back, standing with all the dignity of a king. He offered me the ring on his outstretched palm, a gesture of good-will. "It's yours to accept, or not."

I blinked at him. "I can't handle this right now." I was not in the frame of mind to even think about this, my mind trapped somewhere in the intricate spiral of a new Duel Disc's design, plotting my next board meeting. I desperately wished I could focus on him, but there was no stopping me now, when I was in the midst of my work.

Atem visibly wilted, and I knew I had messed up. "I-i... well, I mean... that's fine. That's your choice, and I'm not going to make it for you."

I grabbed his wrist before he could move away, pressing a quick kiss to his palm - it tasted like grass. "No, I mean _right_ now. I do want to talk about this when I get home, but not while I'm here, at work." My heart was thudding much too fast for some reason, and I found it easier to focus on his feet than his eyes.

His hand rested on my head, as solemnly as if he were dubbing me a knight. "Good." He sighed, and my heart skittered at the relief I could hear. "Then I'll see you when you get off... "

"We'll get dinner." I promised. "I'll find somewhere we can be alone for a while."

Atem shrugged, his hand moving to cup my face. "Whatever you want, Kaiba. I just want to - " he hesitated, gathering his thoughts. "- make you happy."

I didn't reply to that, merely let his little wrist slip out of my hands as he deposited the ring back into his pocket. "Why did you make it out of grass?"

Atem stared at me, perplexed. "Don't people make wedding rings out of their local greenery anymore?"

"No?" Who the hell had taught him that? "Usually you're supposed to buy rings. A lot of people get plain bands. Some get gemstones, or designs etched into the metal itself."

"Oh. In my times, a man would often make a ring out of reeds and present it to his lover, to wear on the left hand. At that point, the two would be bound in eternal love." Atem peered at my ring finger. "You... don't mind wearing it, right?"

I kissed the hand that rested on my cheek, turning into his warmth. "Not at all... you're not pulling my leg, right? People in Ancient Egypt really wore wedding rings on their left hand, on the fourth finger?"

"Yes, of course. How do they do things now?"

"The exact same way."

Atem was silent, his thumb stroking over my cheekbone as he processed the information. "That's good to know. It's strange how much things have changed, but there are some things that just refuse to move on, even from a memory."

I pressed another kiss to his palm, my eyes wandering up to his face. "Is that so? I wonder who you're talking about here... "

Atem gripped my cheek tighter, his nails digging half-moons into my skin. "We're just made for each other, Kaiba."

My body shivered, unsure of how to respond to the sudden intensity. I was supposed to be hurt, to feel the pain that he was inflicted. Instead, the only thing I could feel were thrills, little shudders that raked down my spine. "Made for each other." I echoed stupidly, unsure of how to speak yet.

He nodded, and kissed my forehead, his scent lingering as he leaned in close.


	31. 31 -  Models

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Atem and Kaiba end where they begin - playing games

"Mokuba has another chess tournament on Saturday, don't forget. You can't go into the office this weekend." Atem wriggled back in my lap, snuggling his head just right under my chin.

I hummed softly, filing away the information. My lunch breaks with Atem actually lasted the full hour they were supposed to, instead of the paltry few minutes it took to grab a snack from the vending machine. I actually ate, too, taking down a whole bento instead of leaving the vending machine snack half-eaten on my desk. My empty dishes lurked on my desk, and Atem and I sat facing the window, staring out into the city below, and the blue sky.

"I could stay here forever." I mumbled, kissing his neck.

His knowing smile shone through the cloud of his bangs, and smaller hands found my own. "You will." He laughed, twisting my engagement ring around my finger. It stuck for a moment, but soon turned easily. I had persuaded him to get me one made of platinum, and not grass, both of us agreeing that it looked a lot better. The grass one was tucked away in my bedside drawer, drying slow and brittle. Sometimes, I took it out just to look at it. It had no value as far as money was concerned, but it meant more to me than any diamond I owned. It was strange to evaluate an object on how much I loved the person who had given it to me - even stranger to have a gift in the first place. How long had it been since someone else had given me something?

Atem's fingers were always heavy with rings. He knew how to wear jewelry, and he looked good in it, always wearing it as casually as his own skin. However, I had refused to be the only one who had a ring to symbolize our love, and gotten him one more band. The woman behind the counter at the jewelry store had been a strong ally, helping me to understand exactly what I was even looking for. A Pharaoh deserved the perfect gift, after all, something that would last forever.

My ring was a simple, utilitarian band, and Atem's was golden, covered in gems. It was heavy, but not garish. It reflected the sunlight back onto my cheek, gleaming over my hand as our fingers locked. Mismatched, but the contrast was pleasant, marking the line where our souls met.

A soft knock came at the door, and I pulled my head out of Atem's hickeys, spinning our chair to face the door. "Come in."

"Sorry to interrupt." It was Yugi. He approached without hesitation, his eyes lit up. Lately, his eyes had started growing the same bags that I had, and his shirt was only half-tucked. I had to wonder if he had even slept the night before. "I just have to say... Kaiba, don't get mad when I tell you this. I _know_ that deadlines are coming up, and there's a lot we need to get done before Spherium II launches, but the team and I have been working on a side project."

I shot him a half-hearted glare. Honestly, I wasn't even going to reprimand him. Yugi was a game-making genius, and I would acquiesce to any of his demands to keep him on the team. As long as he kept Spherium II alive, he could miss deadlines and dabble in side projects to his heart's content. "That's fine. As long as your project doesn't disappoint me, work on whatever makes you happy."

"Everything I make is going to impress you." Yugi grinned, and I saw the tiredness drop off his shoulders. Confidence looked good on him, and I was glad to see it.

"That's it, Aibou." I heard Atem mumble, too quiet for the other to hear.

"But anyway, the reason why I'm telling you this is because we've finished our side project now." Yugi continued, his hands dropping inside his pockets. "And it's something that you need to see. You too, mou hitori."

Now I was intrigued. What had Yugi created that was so important? Giving up time that was meant for Spherium, and even keeping it concealed from me... my hopes were high.

Untangling from around Atem, I picked up my fiance and set him on his feet, ignoring his mewl of protest as I dusted off my shirt and pants. He had left me covered in crumbs from our lunch together, but a few tugs and touches had me looking just as composed and untouchable as usual. "Well, let's go see it."

Yugi was eager, and I found myself having to keep up with his pace for once. "It's kind of all for work, anyway, you know." He chattered, sending electric glances my way. "I mean... well, you'll see it."

"Is this why I'm not allowed in your office anymore?" Atem asked. I hadn't even known that he had been banned. No wonder he had been spending my breaks with me instead of Yugi.

"Yup. After today, you're officially allowed back in."

The door to the lab wasn't far, and Yugi seamlessly swiped his ID card to let us in. "Come on through... "

The Spherium II holographic board was already on display, the room empty and lit only by the flickering globe. My Crystal Cloud automatically hummed to life in my ear, throwing up read-outs and available pieces into my field of view. Immediately, it locked on to a cluster of pieces that floated in space beside the board, waiting for a player to bring them to life. Their description? UNKNOWN. Atem's eyes reflected the electric blue glow of all the lights, a splash of shining modernity blazing on his face.

Yugi cradled them in his hands, rolling them between his fingers. They were in their 'piece' form, little Solid Vision darts that could be placed on the board to summon a monster, or cast a spell. "These are exclusive pieces created by the KaibaCorp R&D team. Extremely limited run, only one copy of this set will ever be in play. There aren't enough to make a full deck, but they are a sizable boost to existing strategies. Like the best of games, they tell a story."

Plucking one out of the bunch, he rolled it between his fingers as he pressed it down on the board. Just as designed, perfectly implemented hologram systems sprung to life, bringing to life a 3D model of a monster - but his face was more than a little familiar.

Violet eyes smirked their challenge, set in deep green skin. The monster had a slight build, wrapped in gold and bandages, a mummy king brought back from the dead. He wasn't a perfect mirror for Atem, but there was no mistaking who he was. My oldest memories whispered in my ears, telling me that the amulets tucked among the linen wrappings were historically correct, blessing the king's journey to the afterlife with peace and safety.

Atem let out a soft gasp, his eyes darting between Yugi and the hologram. "Aibou, that's... "

Yugi smiled, a faint flush splashing his cheeks. "The King of the Dead. He protects Spellcasters on your field, and makes them easier to summon. If he goes to the Graveyard, you can pay Life Points to bring him back to the Field."

Another shining dart pulled from the pile, and put into play. "This one is for you, Kaiba-kun. It's the Emperor of Dragons."

He knew my flair for the dramatic, and had catered to it perfectly, a blazing glare of light bringing my piece to life. The Emperor had a stern jaw that I knew from my reflection, his eyes hidden by a Blue-Eyes shaped mask. A rugged half-cape hung from his hips, his mouth hiding the barest hint of a smirk. Atem's piece seemed to take notice when the other sprang into existence, his stance broadening and shoulders drawing back proudly. The Emperor's broad hands hefted a spear with a head shaped like a dragon, testing its weight.

"He can bring your Dragons onto the field, and can sacrifice them to keep himself alive. He gains power for each Dragon on the field." Yugi glanced to me, and I nodded, barely. I would make use of that.

"They each have a few support monsters, but I'll show you the most important. When they're summoned, they can add their respective boss to your hand." These were Mokuba and... Yugi himself. Mokuba was dressed in intricate armor, his pose confident as he pulled his dragon-bone helmet over his face. Yugi had ghost-white skin, and looked young, with wide grey eyes. I hadn't seen him like this since high school, when he was the punching bag for all the school's bullies. Contrasted to the confident business man standing beside me, it was a huge difference, one that I could tell this card had been created to symbolize.

"Our friends, our memories, the people we've become, they're all here. They're a part of this set, just like they're a part of us." There would be time to go through all the pieces later. Right now, Yugi was telling the story, showing off his prowess. "However, the most important part is the two kings." The next piece he played was tinted blue, the color of a spell. The Emperor and the King, still on the board, squared up. "The first place they met were in battle. The arcane forces of the dead king took over the Emperor's territory, making gains that drove back all of his dragons."

The Emperor stumbled back, gritting his teeth as the ground below his feet erupted with zombies, a green miasma making the land uninhabitable. The zombies were, ironically, Kuribo. They all had haunted eyes, but seemed pleased to see the King, swirling around his head.

"However, the Emperor gathered the power of his holy dragon, and struck back against the blow." A second spell card, and the Emperor's spear glowed with a white, winged aura. Hurling it into the ground, a huge blast of lightning dissipated the Kuribo, driving away the miasma and making the King flinch.

"Now the two considered each other equals after such a fight, and they decided to meet up in the interests of peace. A party was arranged, with nobles invited on each side." A ghost of Priest Mahad, a warrior in silver armor shaped like Priest Set. Mokuba dressed in fancy robes, and Yugi, older but still a child, bedecked with gold. Isis, Anzu, Jonouchi, Isono - those faces and many others. Some of them were surprising to see on Kaiba's side, the side of dragons; many of the undead were names he only knew from a past life.

"A treaty was negotiated, and peace was symbolized by the mingling of the two peoples. The Emperor and the King finally met as true equals, on a plane that wasn't determined by battle." Yugi's eyes glanced to Atem at my side, then looked away just as fast. "But the dead and the living weren't meant to mingle, and the night of merry-making had to come to an end." The Emperor and the King - in the sea of flashing armor and half-seen wraiths, those two were standing face-to-face, defiant eyes blazing. My heart in my throat, I swallowed heavily as the Emperor knelt at the King's feet. The green-skinned wraith seemed just as surprised as I was, reaching to pull the other up. Before he could, the Emperor kissed his hand, and I couldn't stop myself from smiling. Is that how Yugi saw us?

Atem's hand snaked around my waist, running his hand down my back. "Pretty nice, huh?" The little smile that traced his face made my heart pound, and I sighed softly. Yes, this was perfect.

Our happiness was infectious; Yugi glanced at us before looking away to give us privacy, but even he was grinning now. "They were, uh, separated for some time. However, the Emperor worked hard, using the power of dragon magic to create a way for him to travel to the Realm of the Dead." The spirits faded away, and the Emperor was left standing alone. For a moment, he stared at his own spear, powerless, with nothing to throw it at. But then, the spear began to glow, and the Emperor held it like a candle, foraying into the lands that were still green and poisoned. the King was there on his throne, waiting, and the Emperor met him here.

"There was more than peace, there was unity. The King and the Emperor, with none of the barriers of life or death between them, were wed in holy matrimony. Their kingdoms were united for all of time with such a union, protecting them from invasion." The King stood up, and the two embraced. The relief painted across the King's face had me exhaling sharply, entranced by the display. It meant something to me, in a way I couldn't describe.

"With eternal peace secured, the two kingdoms became one, and the two kings stood united against any threat." Back to back, magic in one hand and a spear in another, two warriors that fought like one.

Atem's hand left my side as he launched himself at Yugi, wrapping his partner up in a tight hug. "Aibou!" He smiled, and I knew from his voice that he was on the edge of tears. "Thank you... so much... "

"You're welcome. Really, it was an honor." Yugi mumbled, squeezing him back.

I stayed taciturn, crossing my arms as I studied the two holograms. They were smirking at each other, the King's bandages draped over the Emperor's armor in a tenderness that words couldn't describe. They were allies, and lovers. Husbands, bound by shining rings on each of their left hands.

"Truly an honor." I mumbled. That man, that king, meant the entire world to me. If I had a say in the rest of reality, then I was going to make that man mine. He would always be at my side, beautiful and flawless regardless of how time passed. He was my King, my Pharaoh. "Thank you, Yugi. I look forward to seeing the rest of the set, and playing it with you."

Yugi nodded quickly, knowing that the warmth in my voice meant much more than the business-like nature of my words. "Kaiba... of course."

Atem turned back to me, his violet eyes shining. "Let's play it right now, Kaiba."

"Okay." The company could run without me for a few hours, regardless of how it felt sometimes. There was no one else who mattered more to me than Atem, and he needed to know it.

Before I could take a seat across from him at the globe, I found his slender arms tugging at my shirt, bringing me down to his level for a quick kiss. Our lips pressed together, the heat and passion of a lifetime swirling through us. "I love you." He whispered, and I smiled into his mouth, pulling him in for one more.

"I know. I love you too."


End file.
